The Guns & Yoga Podcast

Episode #42: Financial Freedom for First Responders with Courtney from Heroes Financial Coaching

Today I speak with Courtney from Heroes Financial Coaching.  As a police and veteran wife, she is familiar with the stress of these professions and helps first responder and veteran families reduce stress due to finances.  

Courtney and her husband had years of credit card debt, car payments, and student loans, but were able to overcome their debt and purchase their dream home. 

Her goal is to help first responder families become the hero in their financial journey. She does this through one on one coaching, goal setting, and developing a plan that can lead to financial freedom, which means less stress and anxiety.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroesfinancialcoaching/

Website:  https://www.heroesfinancialcoaching.com/

 

We’re Back!

We’re back!

 

After taking some time off this year we are back with new episodes and great guests.  In this very brief episode, I share my gratitude and appreciation for the listeners and the reason for the break. 

YogaFit for Warriors with Shaye Molendyke

Welcome to the Guns & Yoga Podcast. Today's guest: Shaye Molendyke - Shaye Molendyke is a retired Lt. Colonel with the US Airforce.  She is a trained mental health counselor, yoga teacher, and yoga therapist. Shaye has experience in teaching yoga on US military bases across the nation and has seen first hand how the tools of yoga support healing.  Shaye coordinates and teaches in the Warriors Program at Yogafit where she teaches workshops such as YogaFit for Warriors which emphasizes how yoga can support those with PTSD. 

LINKS:

International Women's Day - Femme Flow (YogaFit)

YogaFit.com

In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness: Peter A. Levine, Gabor Mate: 9781556439438: Amazon.com: Books

 

Episode 40: Yoga Rescue with Vance Row

 

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell and today I talk to Vance Row.  Vance and I first met last year at the National FOP Wellness Conference in Nashville, TN.  He is a fellow Yogi, so as you can imagine, we became fast friends. Vance is a former police officer and he now works as a police and fire dispatcher. He found the tools of yoga to be very beneficial in his own healing process, which he talks about. So much so,  that it inspired him to become a yoga instructor and create his business - Yoga Rescue. Vance shares the tools of yoga with fellow first responders and teaches multiple classes every week, he is in the state of Maryland, so if you're looking for classes taught by somebody who's culturally competent look them up check them out, he's a great instructor, and a really great guy. You will notice and see during the podcast that his enthusiasm for sharing the tools of yoga and mindfulness are infectious. He he walks us through some very difficult times that he's experienced throughout his career, he talks about his struggle with alcohol, as well as issues with leaders that he was working for at his former agency, and about a very difficult conversation when his wife called him out about his drinking. It was is really that conversation that turned him around and inspired him to stop drinking. I think many of us can probably relate to a lot of what Vance talks about in our show today. So, sit back and have a listen, I think you're going to find this episode really valuable.

 

LINKS:

Instagram - @yoga.rescue

Facebook - yogarescueinfo

https://humblewarrior.org/blog/f/cultivating-resilience

 

Episode 39: A conversation with Kyle Stubbs, First Responder Coach and founder of the Nine8 Program

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  My name is Wendy Hummell.  Today I share a conversation I had with Kyle Stubbs.  Kyle is a police officer in British Columbia, Canada, has experience as a paramedic, a husband and father.  Kyle and I discuss the work he’s doing outside his full time job as a first responder coach.  Kyle shares how his own experience in a mens group coaching program inspired him to create the Nine8 program, a 10 week group coaching program which came from the ten code for backup, and is based on the premise of connection, mindset, wellness practices, and addresses the masculine archetype, something we don’t often hear much about in our profession. 

We discuss the importance of male friendships, masculine and feminine traits, and how a balance of these traits can benefit everyone regardless of your gender. I know that framing characteristics such as discipline, focus and confidence as masculine and being vulnerable, compassionate, and supportive traits as more feminine, can be a new concept for many, but I think it’s an important topic to address because as Kyle and I discuss, the assignment of certain traits as mutually exclusive for a particular gender isn’t serving anyone well.

Kyle walks us through the soft talk challenge which is paying attention to the words we use both internally and externally really does matter and has a profound impact on our mindset, behaviors, and actions.

Kyle and I also discuss the difference between coaching and therapy, and I think it’s an important topic to cover because coaching as an industry is becoming more mainstream and is becoming more prevalent in the first responder world. 

If you are interested in learning more about Kyle’s coaching services, check out his website which I have included in the show notes and see if this is something that may benefit you. 

One more thing, I have been receiving a lot of messages, texts, and emails about this podcast and I wanted to thank you all for that.  I encourage you to keep reaching out, tell me what you think, make suggestions, ask questions.  I want to engage with you.  Please continue to listen and I would greatly appreciate you giving us a review, subscribing, and sharing.  This podcast is truly a labor of love and I want to expand our reach.

Thank you all for listening and enjoy the show.

LINKS:

SNL The Man Park link:>>> Man Park - SNL

Kyle's Website:>>> www.kylestubbs.ca/

 

Second Mountain Masterclass Series (Part 2) - Retiree Roundtable, the Circle, and the Power of Peer Support

As we continue this week with our Retiree Masterclass Series and explore the pillar of leadership, I wanted to share something I recently learned about that ties into what I wanted to discuss today.  As I shared last time, the first concept of the conscious leadership paradigm is Radical Responsibility; this entails taking charge of our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational well -being.  As we begin to better manage our nervous system and increase self-awareness, we are better equipped to take radical responsibility for the circumstances of our lives and become more open, curious, and growth minded.  One avenue is to surround yourself with others interested in this same path.

I recently learned of a social dynamic among female elephant herds called "elephant circles" and shared it with an incredible group of women I know.  Much like a women's circle, which is an ancient practice where women gather to provide a safe place to connect, share, and empower, the elephant circle is formed either when a female elephant is giving birth or if one is injured - either way the other female elephants gather in a circle protecting their sister from outside attackers when she is vulnerable. As fierce protectors, when a sister is down, they gather around her, shoulder to shoulder, they stomp, kick up dust, masking her vulnerability much like what women do for each other when they are speaking up, sharing new ideas, new spaces, and new life; when they need their people to surround them so they can create, heal, or recover - we circle up have each other's backs. After the new life comes, when healing begins, or the darkness lifts and our sister is ready to rise back up - we celebrate.

We are meant to be there for one another. Sometimes we are the one's in the middle, sometimes we are the ones kicking up the dust with fierce love.

The genius of the group is much greater than the sum of it’s brilliant parts. This is simply  peer support in action.

Many first responder agencies have embedded peer support programs.  Peer support is based on the premise that you can be vulnerable with others in a safe environment with those you have something in common with. 

This same principle applies to retirees.  A recent article by Brian Kinnaird that appears in Psychology today titled “Peer to Peer Support for Police Veterans” addresses the transition to retirement and offers suggestions for those seeking support to do so.  As I mentioned last time, we spend a lot of time training and preparing for this career, but little to no attention is given to our exit; it is our responsibility to do this for ourselves.  Connection with others is a component of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that he puts after safety and physiological needs which we covered last time with the importance of nervous system regulation and stress management; but some experts argue this is the most important component.

LINKS -

www.PsychologyToday.com: Peer-to-Peer Support for Police Veterans

 

Episode #38: Karen Solomon - FIRST H.E.L.P. Honoring the Service of First Responders Who Died By Suicide

Today you will hear a conversation I had with Karen Solomon, a pioneer on the first responder wellness front.  Karen is the founder of BLUE HELP, a non profit organization that started tracking LE suicides in 2016.  The organization also aims to reduce mental health stigma through education, advocate for benefits for those suffering from post-traumatic stress, acknowledge the service and sacrifice of LE officers we lost to suicide, support families after suicide and bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.

Karen tells us how BLUE HELP was created because of a gap in the support for police families who had lost a loved one to suicide; so she began sending care packages to families and began tracking the number of LE suicides.

Karen tells the story of how she connected with other police officers by way of an online police wives group, since she herself is married to a police officer.  This connection and Karen’s personal experience with suicide led to her writing two books, Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay, and expanding BLUE HELP to FIRST HELP which began tracking fire, paramedic, and telecommunicator suicides last year.  She is a national speaker, advocate for federal legislation that impacts suicide survivor families, and a contributing columnist to several first responder publications.

I recently had the opportunity to take training offered by FIRST HELP.  A colleague with the Fire Dept. arranged for this free training to come to my area in Wichita KS.  Responder Readiness is an 8 hour course that First Help Offers to agencies upon request free of charge.  Check the website for further information and other training they offer.  The trainer, Mike Marotta, is a United States Air Force veteran and veteran LEO.  He spent the day discussing stress, trauma, and the tools we can implement to optimize our performance.  I really enjoyed speaking from Mike and always value connecting with those committed to first responder mental health and wellness.

First Help is a top-notch organization committed serving first responders and their families.  I hope you enjoy this episode and  understand that one person truly can make a difference.  Karen will tell you she doesn’t do it alone, but she is an integral part of the organization.  The impact and ripple effect of her work will never truly be known.

LINKS:

First H.E.L.P. - Honoring the Service of First Responders Who Died by Suicide (1sthelp.org)

 

Second Mountain Masterclass Series - Finding Meaning Health and Vitality in Retirement

The Second Mountain - A Masterclass Series

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast, my name is Wendy Hummell. In today's Microcast I’m kicking off the first in a series on retirement, and even if you have a ways to go before retiring, I encourage you to listen because I think you’ll find this helpful.   

The inspiration came from numerous interactions over the past year or so with those that struggle in retirement for various reasons; at first I thought it was just me, but as I started to openly discuss my own struggles I learned my friends, peers, and coaching clients had their own challenges too.  This got me curious.  As I read more, explored topics on life transitions, identity, finding purpose and meaning, and spoke with more retirees, I decided to share what I have learned through a series of masterclasses on the subject through the podcast that will explore the pillars of a retiree focused coaching program I’m working on.  So stay tuned for live Q & A workshops with vetted participants, subject matter experts, and other retirees to dive deeper into some of these topics.

HELPFUL LINKS:

Tapping Meditation: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/tapping-101/

Move Yoga Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quIozUsHuGA

Breathe Yoga Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjvW4QyZTUQ

Stretch Yoga Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9OZS3i9LB0

Strong Yoga Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtDnp_kdw6c

Warrior Yoga Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JAco_Im7gU

 

Frontline Therapy Network: https://www.thebattlewithin.org/frontline-therapy-network

COPLINE®: AN OFFICER'S LIFELINE: https://www.copline.org

 

Episode #37: Mindfulness and Purpose with Blue Line Golf founder Matt Mintier

Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast.Today I share a conversation I had with Matt Mintier, a veteran Deputy working in Oregon and the founder of the non profit organization - Blue Line Golf.  Matt and I discuss his path to law enforcement and how growing up as the child of a cop influenced him.  Matt opens up about events in his childhood, in his personal life, and on the job that lead him to seek help.  We cover some difficult topics such as his fathers suicide and other traumatic events so I wanted to prepare anyone who may not be in a place to hear this conversation. 

Matt shares how a he stumbled upon something that provided him the opportunity to relax and be mindful.. playing golf.  I encounter many first responders who are still turned off by the word mindfulness. I am not sure exactly why; maybe the word has over saturated the market, they think its too woo woo; or maybe they don’t think it works. In the work that I do, I encounter a lot of first responders and so many of them are actually describing mindfulness, but they use different language.  So, I want to take a moment to define it because I have a lot of friends who play golf, hunt, fish, do martial arts, or woodworking.  Often we associate meditation with mindfulness, and while this is absolutely one gateway to mindfulness, it's not the only way.  As my friend and colleague Kim Colegrove likes to say, "meditation is to mindfulness as exercise is to fitness."  Yes…if you want to be more mindful, meditation can help with that, but mindfulness a way of being. Non Judgmental Present moment awareness.  I talk to so many that find peace and solace in nature or outdoor activities.  It provides an opportunity to be present with nature with little to no distractions so what one person told me “they can hear themselves think” and just be.  My mindfulness practice is yoga, meditation, and walking outside.  What’s yours?  If it helps keep you grounded and helps you to be present in all areas of  than you understand.  Mindfulness helps at work, being self aware is a component of emotional intelligence and helps keep you in check during high stress situations.  Self awareness is a crucial part of officer safety.  Mindfulness helps with our relationships, and really how we do anything.  You can even mindfully wash the dishes.

Think about how often we aren’t present and how much we miss out on?  Our brains aren’t designed to necessarily be mindful, so this can be a challenge and something we need to be intentional about.  We are hard wired to look for threats and danger and first responders know this more than anyone; while this is absolutely necessary in certain situations such as while we are at work; it doesn’t always serve us in other areas of our life.  That is where mindfulness practices come in.

Matt tells us about a time he was in a trauma informed training class for working with victims of Domestic Violence when he first learned about vicarious trauma.  His story prompted a memory for me from 2016; the first time I heard my now dear friend and colleague, Darren Ivey teach about secondary trauma.  I remember having a knot in my stomach and having to hold it together emotionally when I first heard him discuss the impact of hearing about other people’s traumas.  As a persons crimes detective, I would occasionally get overwhelmed with emotion and even sometimes feel physical symptoms while interviewing someone.  I stuffed it down and held it together in the moment, but didn’t always find a way to deal with it.  Hearing this was a common but not healthy response to not so normal work somehow made me feel less ashamed.  I now know a whole lot more about secondary and vicarious trauma, and have made it my mission to educate other first responders.

Matt has found solace and purpose in golf and now shares his love for the game with other law enforcement officers.  Blue Line Golf’s mission mission is to improve the mental and physical health of active and retired LEO's through golf. In Matt’s words, “golf became a way to relieve stress, connect with myself, my family and friends, and the mindfulness practice of golf has been instrumental in helping me improve my life”.

LINKS:

Blue Line Golf USA

Instagram @bluelinegolfusa

 

Wisdom Wednesday: Facing my Demons and Retirement - Microcast 24

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  

In this Microcast I finally share my not-so-happy retirement story, along with some of the things that I've learned in retrospect. And, how that experience, and its aftermath, has only reinforced my desire to help cops (and other first responders) have the tools and resources available to them to help navigate the ups and downs they will face throughout their career, and to retire healthfully - both physically & mentally. Because, if done correctly, the end of a law enforcement career can be the beginning of a new life journey, one I like to call "The Second Mountain".  

Peace, Love & Strength -

Wendy

Episode #36: A Conversation with Scott Medlin - Changing the Narrative for Law Enforcement Well Being

Welcome to Episode 36 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast.  Today I share a conversation I had with Scott Medlin, a US Marine veteran and law enforcement veteran.  Scott discusses his difficult decision to leave full time law enforcement in 2020 to save his family.  His overidentification with the job led him to work part time jobs when he didn’t even need the cash. It was at that time, Scott began his journey to inspire and encourage police officers to focus on their personal wellbeing in order to better survive the career and better serve the public.  Scott discusses his struggles with PTS, addiction, and depression and how an observation by his parents after returning from Iraq prompted him to get help.  He discusses NLP therapy which he credits as a big part in his healing. Scott is also a podcast host, author, speaker, and trainer, so check out the link in the shownotes for more information. 

I spoke with Scott a while back, and I am glad to finally be able to share it.  Full disclosure, between full time work obligations and family, and my coaching and retreat business, the podcast has had to take a back seat these past few months, which has been tough.  I recently read something that really hit home – You can do anything, but you cant’ do everything.  Ok, Universe.  I hear you.  I have a passion which I realize is my purpose, or as the yogis call it – Dharma, and it’s been the overarching theme in everything I do  - to serve others by sharing the tools of holistic wellness  -  the avenues in which that happens are varied – my FT work as a wellness coordinator, a health coach, yoga instructor, podcast host, content creator, and speaker.  I am working to streamline my side-hustles, but this podcast isn’t going anywhere - because serving the first responders is where my heart lies.  In fact, I am more convinced than ever that a framework of support, connection, resources, and education is imperative in this culture.  This work can be tough at times, there are still many who don’t buy in, but I see evidence practically every day whether it’s people I know personally or through teaching, coaching, or podcasting that we are better together and that it’s never too late.  We have some great ideas brewing so stay tuned for more.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Scott.  He has so much to offer.  He writes and teaches about topics such as getting through the police Academy, a holistic approach to well-being, mental health, the warrior socialization of police officers, team work, and more.

LINKS:

Scott Medlin | LinkedIn

Podcast – Scott Medlin (thescottmedlin.com)

Amazon: Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

Episode #35: A Conversation with Amanda Dozanti – First Responder Wellness Coach

Welcome to Episode #35 of the Guns and Yoga Podcast my name is Wendy Hummell.  In today’s episode you will hear my conversation with Amanda Dozanti, a former Deputy Sheriff turned first responder wellness coach and specialist.  Amanda actively works towards giving first responders a way to manage chronic stress and mitigate the effects of working in a trauma-rich environment.

Amanda shares her personal story of burnout and PTS which ultimately lead her to leave the job the same year she was named Officer of the Year. She is a certified yoga instructor and wellness coach helping individuals and agencies beat burnout.   So much of what Amanda discussed really hit home for me.  Until recently, I hadn’t really talked much about the end of my career because it was too hard.  Over these past few years I have done some deep work, and I have found the more I discuss it, the more I accept it, and the more I speak with others willing to be brave and share their stories, the easier it has become to share mine.

In fact, when Amanda was describing her exit from law enforcement and she said “It was either me or the job and I chose me” I felt a flash of déjà vu.  I was also named Officer of the Year in 2018, the same year I decided to end my career.

This realization reinforced the importance of sharing our stories.  Amanda and I have very different stories, we live in different states, come from 2 different generations…but the common thread of our emotions, experiences, and feelings are the same. 

Lately, a lot of my personal work has to do more with the end of my career and how the grief of retirement impacted me; I became interested in first responder wellness years prior to my retirement, but the organizational betrayal, moral injury, and lack of agency I had over my situation, is what led to what I call my demise, but what has subsequently inspired my path to wellbeing and wanting to support others in the retirement stage; whether that be years prior, during or after pulling the plug.

 I am in the process of creating  program for the soon to be or retired responder.  I have seen firsthand the power of healing in a group setting in my year long Radical Resilience coaching program, and I am excited to announce my next offering soon.  I will put a link in the show notes for our Missouri First Responder listeners.  I am working with the team at Pause First to put on FREE overnight retirement seminar in Branson Missouri this December.  It will open up at the end of October to other states for those interested .  What is unique about this event is that it is also open to significant others.

One of the intentions of this show is to share resources and programs for support, and first responder wellness coaching has been surfacing in recent years, but what do we really know about it.  Just like everything else I do, prior to becoming a first responder coach myself, I became curious.  What does a coach do? What’s the difference between a coach and a therapist?  Do first responders really hire coaches?

Amanda and I cover this topic at length, and what you will learn is that each coach, just like choosing a therapist or  a personal trainer has their own unique set of backgrounds, qualifications, and life experiences, and its on you to make sure who you hire is a good fit for you.  This is why I like to speak with, promote, and collaborate with other first responder coaches like Amanda who are doing amazing work and are truly in to help first responders.  

Amanda integrates her knowledge of neuroscience, yoga, trauma, and more into her framework.  She offers affirmations, daily micro-challenges, a workbook, and meditation as resources to her clients.  Amanda does frequent videos on TIK TOK that I find both impressive and entertaining.  She balances important content with humor and knows how to attract her tribe. 

Amanda is an agency trainer, coach, yoga instructor, mom, and wife.  She is dedicated to supporting first responders through her one on one coaching program, her app, agency trainings, and soon she will be launching a new app. 

I hope you enjoy the show and check out the show notes for ways to find Amanda and the resources mentioned in this podcast.

LINKS:

https://lifesaverwellness.com/about/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-dyer-dozanti-ma/

https://www.tiktok.com/@akdozanti

Books mentioned on this podcast:

Yamas and the Niyamas: https://www.amazon.com/Yamas-Niyamas-Exploring-Ethical-Practice/dp/0974470643

Atomic Habits:  https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299

FREE RETIREMENT SEMINAR: First Responder Retirement Workshop

Episode #34: Dr. Colby Mills discusses the National Wellness Survey

Today’s show will be of special interest for those agency decision makers and leaders, politicians, or anyone interested in research to support wellness programming.  Dr. Colby Mills is a Clinical and Police Psychologist who works at Forge VFR in Virginia.  He has extensive experience working with veterans and first responders.  Colby reached out and told me how he and his colleagues created a national survey in conjunction with the US Marshalls in which approximately nearly 9,000 respondents from all first responder agencies, local state and federal, participated.  This survey asks questions about suicidal ideations, PTSD, and depression.  They also looked at common stressors and identified those that had the most impact.  I don’t want to give too much away, but the preliminary results are consistent with other research studies I am familiar with in that the more damaging stressors were found to be from within the organization, morale, being overworked, and lack of closure on critical incidents. 

The way I see it, these survey results serve as an incredible opportunity for commanders, politicians, and decision makers to understand, educate, and inform themselves on how first responders are impacted by the organizational culture.  Of course, we can’t always help overtime and investigations, BUT adopting a conscious leadership approach when it comes to understanding and addressing the stressors known to impact the troops the most will prove to not only support those struggling, but potentially prevent or diminish the blow, and who knows maybe improve retention and morale along the way.

Conscious leaders are open, curious, and committed to learning, not attached to the “that’s the way we’ve always done it” mentality. 

This survey provides those conscious leaders to be “armed with the facts” to inform future programming and implement resources at their agency that are trusted, effective, and accessible.

Colby discusses some of the findings which confirm many still suffer in silence;  20% reported clinical levels of anxiety, but 74% of those people have never been formally diagnosed by a professional; the results show similar numbers for depression and PTSD.

3% of officers surveyed reported having active thoughts of suicide.

The reasons cited for not seeking help are confidentiality concerns, stigma, and lack of access to resources.

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation  - sleep, mindfulness, meditation, and moral injury to name a few.  Moral injury has been coming up a lot lately in this show; in my most recent podcast with Michael Sugure, author of relentless courage, he recounts his story of how organizational betrayal led to his moral injury; a psychological injury that surfaces as a result of conflict between what your moral code says you should be doing and your actions, and in Michael’s case this injury was inflicted by his own agency. This is consistent with the survey results. 

After listening to this episode, I encourage you to check out the survey which will be released this fall and, share it with agency decision makers, politicians, or commanders.  This is the type of research we need to move forward to get the resources in place needed to support those on the front lines and to make lasting change on the first responder wellness front.

LINKS:

The National Wellness Survey - YouTube

Colby Mills | LinkedIn

Forge Health

 

Wise Warrior Wednesday - Microcast 23

 

This week: How We Manage Our Energy

 

Episode #33: Relentless Courage with Michael Sugrue

Michael Sugrue is an Air Force Veteran and medically retired Sergeant from the Walnut Creek PD in California.  He recently released a book, Relentless Courage – Winning the Battle Against Frontline Trauma, with whom he co-authored with Dr. Shauna Springer.  At the time of our conversation, His book has been on the #1 bestseller list since its release five weeks in a row.  Michael discusses how he had no desire to write a book, but a phone call from his co-author, led to the release of a story that absolutely needed to be told.

I have read countless books on the topic of front line trauma, but this one is unique.  Without giving too much away, the book alternates between Michael’s voice and Doc Springer’s analysis as she unpacks what was going on in Michael’s mind.  Her explanations are easy to understand and help to normalize Michael’s behaviors, emotions, and actions.  The big take away… first responders need safe places where they can address their trauma so healing can happen.

Michael is an advocate for awareness, prevention, education, and training on PTSI and First Responder Suicide Prevention.  He is a peer volunteer at the WCPR and an Ambassador for the Save a Warrior program and discusses both of these programs in our conversation. 

Michael talks about a fatal shooting he was involved in shortly after promoting to Sergeant.  He discussed the duality of the instant change in his personality and the more gradual onset of symptoms.  Michael discusses feeling detached and emotionally number immediately following the shooting, and how he slowly became less sympathetic and empathic towards others.

Michael discusses how he suffered in silence for four years…divorce, health issues, a federal lawsuit, grieving his father’s death, and his friends suicide attempt, which he credits to saving his life and what propelled his path to healing.

Some of the highlights of our discussion include:

• Michaels healing path.  West Coast Post Trauma Retreat (WCPR), Save a Warrior, therapy, prescription medication, support group meetings, and a medical procedure called Stellate Ganglion Block or SGB.

• Agency betrayal and Moral Injury.  This is a big piece of his book and Michael says that often times this is what puts people over the edge, and in his case, he attributes moral injury and the treatment by his agency to his change in personality.  In the book Michael recounts the countless ways in which his fatal shooting, while his defining incident, was compounded by media accounts, court proceedings, lack of a structure in which OIS were handled internally, and isolation. 

• Stigma.  Michael suggests the only way to overcome stigma is continuing to talk about it and we need to have the courage and strength to have these vulnerable conversations. 

• Try new things.  Michael says, be willing to try new things.  EMDR didn’t work for him, but he knows its worked wonders for others. 

• Retirement.  Michael says it is possible to retire health from a full first responder career and discussing the human side of what we go through our career is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Michael reminds us that healing is a life long journey; this is a reality, and not intended to discourage.  We all fall back; we can all get triggered, but when we do, there is support.

LINKS:

Save a Warrior Program:  https://saveawarrior.org/

West Coast Post Trauma Retreat:  https://www.frsn.org/west-coast-post-trauma-retreat.html

60 Minutes Rewind SGB:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC2fBe6U7lg

Relentless Courage Book Link:

 

https://www.amazon.com/RELENTLESS-COURAGE-Winning-Against-Frontline/dp/1736824414

 

....and thanks to everyone for your continued support as we recently surpassed 10,000 downloads!!! Obviously, we couldn't have done it without all of you!!